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London Boulevard
Ken Bruen
The DoNot Press £6.99 |
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Reviewed by Liz Hatherall |
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This book has
pace
humour
action
an irritating style.
It drove me potty the first time but once you've got used to it
- and tried reading the book a second time - it sort of makes
sense and gives you a feel of the uncluttered, unemotional mind
of our narrator. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Basic plot is
newly-ex con, Mitchell, imprisoned for drunken gbh that he can't
remember, trying to make a new life for himself on the
straightish and narrowish. He is hampered by his 'friend' Billy,
a loan shark, who expects certain favours in return for helping
Mitchell re-establish himself. Mitchell in the meantime gets
himself a legitimate job as handyman in the mansion of a
'resting' actress. The action picks up as we learn more about
Mitchell's past life and get embroiled in his current one. And
of course there's a twist at the end. I read this with horrified
fascination as limbs are broken and blood spilt with a
readiness that would put any hard-headed Mafioso to shame.
There's sex, drugs, violence, all the right ingredients for a
book which (possibly) lacks a plot. It is very readable, if you
don't think too hard. I'm sure someone else will love it but it
was a little too contrived and bully-boy tough for me.
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